Aston Villa legend Gabby Agbonlahor defends timing of Europa League victory parade

Aston Villa legend Gabby Agbonlahor has sympathised with the club’s decision to hold their Europa League victory parade on Thursday.

The talkSPORT Breakfast host was in Istanbul to watch his beloved Villa end a 30-year trophy drought with a 3-0 win over Freiburg.

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Unai Emery’s side easily put their Bundesliga opponents to the sword to claim the club’s first major European trophy since 1982.

Unlike Arsenal, who have pencilled their Premier League victory parade a day after the Champions League final, Villa announced after full-time that their procession throughout Birmingham would take place a mere 24 hours later.

Aston Villa trophy parade: Date and route

The Europa League winners will begin their open-top bus tour on Branston Street in the Jewellery Quarter at 4:30pm on Thursday.

Villa have confirmed that the players will cover a 4.5km route, travelling through Sand Pits, Broad Street and Centenary Square.

In total, the parade is set to last between an hour and 90 minutes.

As a result of the quick turnaround, a number of the 30,000 fans who journeyed to Turkey for the final will not be able to attend.

In a statement, the west Midlands outfit revealed that Thursday has proven to be the only viable option for the club to hold a parade.

Emery’s men will have a full training session on Friday ahead of Sunday’s final Premier League game, away at Manchester City.

Birmingham Pride is then being held in the city centre on Monday, while several Villa stars, including captain John McGinn, will also be due to report to their international squads ahead of the World Cup.

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‘We were so lucky to be in the stadium’

Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast on Thursday, Ally McCoist admitted it was a bit of a shame some of the fans won’t be home in time from Istanbul to take in the victory parade.

However, Agbonlahor said that he’s pleased for the supporters in Birmingham who didn’t have the opportunity to go to Istanbul to get the opportunity to celebrate with their heroes.

“There’s a few that will make it because they’ve got early flights,” Villa legend Agbonlahor said.

“But I get it from Aston Villa because they want to do a proper training session on Friday.

“I get that – you’ve got to take the game seriously on Sunday.

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“And then after that, Ally, the players want to get off on their little breaks, maybe before the World Cup. It’s been a long season.

“So I get it, being the next day. And like I said to some fans yesterday, we were so lucky to be in the stadium.

“Let the guys back home who didn’t have the opportunity to come to the stadium, they can enjoy the parade.

“All I would say is that our rival teams, maybe, stay indoors and lock up. Hundreds of thousands, Ally, will be out.”

A shocked McCoist suggested that the rest of Birmingham will surely be allowed to come out and celebrate with the Villa fans.

Agbonlahor jokingly replied: “[If] they come. They’d better wear the right colours, I’ll tell you that…”